“The exodus has already begun.”
It was two months ago I read these words in an article written by the Guardian, which quickly became infamous on the internet and around the state of Louisiana for it’s cryptic and dystopian language. The article, written by Oliver Milman, set out to make it clear that the future of America’s bustling epicenter of culture, cuisine, and celebration is destined to be destroyed by a threat greater and faster than we could have ever imagined. That’s right – the city of New Orleans, one of the most historic and influential hubs in the history of the United States, is on track to be consumed by 3-7 meters of sea-level rise in the next few generations, possibly before the end of this century. In Milman’s concluding statements, he makes our situation crystal clear: the relocation process for Orleans Parish and the surrounding areas must begin as soon as possible, leaving behind a legacy of struggle and prosperity for a future that was never ours to begin with.
Can any of us really say we’re surprised though? In a city built on enslaved, uncompensated African American labor, further perpetuated by a history of Jim Crow laws and race riots across half of the city in the 19th century, and the brutal neglect of the Black population by the United States’ own disaster relief programs in the wake of Hurricane Katrina – did anyone really think that the best was yet to come, especially from the current proto-authoritarian administration? Obviously, this is a very pessimistic view of this city’s future, one that I surely won’t entertain in the rest of these blog posts.
Yet, it’s worthy of noting that, even in such a nuanced and well-acclaimed paper such as the Guardian, they’ve failed to remember that actions speak louder than words. New Orleanians and Louisianians alike have known that this state is going under since they landed on these shores. What we won’t stand for, though, is a forgotten legacy. We didn’t stand for it during Betsy,Katrina, Ida, or any other tropical cyclone that tried to take us out. If living in this city for almost 21 years has taught me anything, it’s that the people here are not like any metropolitan folk you’ll ever encounter. It is among esteemed Black excellence, revolting counterculture, queer and trans resilience, and the scathing legacy of the working-class individuals that won’t stand to see the hand of lineage fall to further neglect by tyrannical, imperialistic authority.
My name is Felix Trauer. I am a local in this city and have lived here for almost my entire life. I work a regular job in a regular neighborhood and enjoy the regular enrichment of art and music in the city I grew up in. I can say with certainty and honesty that I have been on a spectrum that has loved and hated this city at different points of time. No matter the emotion, this place is home, and what better way to feel connected to it than telling my stories through this blog. I don’t want to be just another person who lived here and either moved or died when shit hit the fan. I want to make my mark here, no matter how near or far I am, and maybe if I’m lucky, someone will be lucky enough to enjoy these ramblings of a young yat from down below.
Point of No Return - A collection 